1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to flavor agents in general. More particularly, the invention relates to chemical compounds or compositions which have been found to have utility in the alteration of flavor or flavor characteristics of substances, whether naturally occurring or synthetic. Still more particularly, the invention relates to cis-4-heptenol which has been found useful in the area of flavor-note alteration, whether by the enhancement of flavors or flavor-notes that are characteristic in a substance, by the alteration of a flavor or a flavor-note from a less to a more desirable one, or by the complete or partial masking of a flavor or flavor-note that is characteristic in a substance.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the field of flavor enhancement, it has been general practice to employ synthetic and naturally isolated compounds and compositions to enhance or mask the flavor of foodstuffs. Generally, isolation of single flavors does not allow one to predict equivalent flavors since compounds of greatly differing structure have been found to produce approximately the same flavor character while compounds of similar structure frequently differ appreciably in taste. Consequently, the identification of desirable flavor components requires synthesis and trial of individual candidates until compounds are identified which have desirable flavors.
For many years, flavor technologists have searched for flavor enhancing compounds which would produce the flavor note generally described by flavor experts as fish or shellfish-like. Recently, a number of fish flavored heptenals have been identified to have this characteristic. In the course of investigating those compounds, we have discovered the compound employed in the composition and process of this invention.